Waltham animal hospital adds physical therapy for dogs

Thursday

Penelope is a little beagle with long ears and gentle eyes. At 10 years old, she suffers from a disc injury that has caused atrophy and weakness in her rear legs.

“The surgeon recommended physical therapy, and every day she is a little better,” said Carol Neville, Penelope’s human caretaker. “She wouldn’t stand at all at the beginning and now, she stands squarely on all four legs.”

Neville has taken Penelope to the MSPCA-Angell West animal hospital in Waltham, where a recently expanded physical therapy program offers the kind of treatment that can prolong Penelope’s active years. Outfitted with doggie-sized underwater treadmills and a scaled-down swimming pool, and staffed with physical therapists and behavior experts, the animal hospital can now offer a wider range of treatment options for beloved family pets.

“Physical therapy, just as it has become the standard of care for humans, has become the standard of care for pets as well,” said veterinarian Jenny Palmer.

What humans get, pets can, too

It’s painful to watch an old dog struggle. When they hurt, we hurt. Medical treatments and therapies are growing to accommodate pet lovers’ demands, and pretty much anything available to humans, from chemotherapy to cardiac care, is available for pets.

Canine physical rehabilitation professions adapt human physical therapy techniques to help increase a dog’s mobility, reduce pain and aid in recovery from illness or surgery. If a dog is recovering from an injury or a surgery, or engages in competitive sports, the MSPCA physical therapy unit is available for care.

Debbie von Rechenberg of Waltham takes Mica, age 13, a “black and tan noselicker,” in for swim every two weeks in the therapy pool. Mica suffers from a spinal condition called spondylosis.

“She can’t do agility training anymore. She can’t jump. This is just a way to keep her engaged and strong,” von Rechenberg said.

Dr. Terry Bright runs Esme, the “office dog” through a small agility-training course used for dog training and “nose training” classes at the hospital. Agility training is a sport that can be enjoyed by dog and person teams, but is also a means to treat a dog with physical or behavioral concerns,

“Very often, if a dog is injured or has surgery and told to sit quietly and rest, that isn’t something they can tolerate. That’s where training comes in,” she said.

Penelope allows herself to be led into the Aqua Paws treadmill, and outfitted with a dog- sized life jacket. Water rises to about shoulder height. The treadmill starts moving very slowly, and the little dog starts walking.

Palmer explained the treadmill is helping Penelope with gait retraining.

“The action of walking in water reminds dogs how their legs are supposed to function, by having them perform the function in a slow exaggerated pattern,” she said. “Also, the warmth of the water helps with pain relief. You get a lot of bangs for the bucks.”

High cost for treatments

Speaking of bucks, physical therapy isn’t cheap, and, depending on the level of treatment can be approximately $100 per hour. Treatments could include hands on massage, water therapy, and laser treatment which is used as an alternative or augmentation of drugs for pain management. A variety of packages with discounts are available from the MSPCA.

It is hard to argue the cost, though, when your family member is hurting. And treating injuries or aging with physical therapy can help increase the return on the investment made with surgery, Palmer said.

Max, an 11-year-old yellow lab, swims in the therapy pool, fetching and retrieving a plastic chew toy to the encouraging calls of therapist, Alyse Luurtsema. Maryellen Russo has driven 45 minutes from their home in Nahant to help make Max, who suffers from arthritis in his hips and elbows, more comfortable.

“He’s definitely a member of the family,” she said. “It’s sad to see them slow down when they get smarter as they age.